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To: Tdu Transportdownunder transportdownunder@...>
Sent: Friday, 7 June 2019, 9:23
Subject: Wed.22.5.19 daily digest

Roderick.

190522W Melbourne 'Age' - letters (rail, road)
Herald Sun letters (rail, road, energy)

190522W Metro Twitter:- Sandringham bustitution.- South Yarra on 21.5 and 22.5.

Wed.22.5.19 Metro Twitter
Buses replace trains Sandringham - City until 7am, Sun 9 Jun (tunnel) works..
- Why do all the customer service ppl tell us the buses terminate at South Yarra when you claim bus to city?
- The Tweet you're responding to dates back to May 22nd.  Current travel advice on Twitter and on our website is that buses depart South Yarra on weekends, per the graphic and this Tweet sent at 8am.
- a better answer than being told by your staff that South Yarra is the city. Btw I got the info from your PTV app>disruptions which might be good to keep up to date also
- We don't manage the information contained on the PTV site, however we will follow up with the team at PTV and have the information amended regarding weekend services.
- It is an absolute joke. Taken me 2 h in the morning and 2 h back. Such a nightmare and this is day one
- Have extra trains been scheduled on the Frankston line, like you did on the Sandringham line during the Autumn Blitz when Frankston was down?
- normal Frankston line services are scheduled during this period. The situation is being monitored by Train Control.
- I hope they’re monitoring and make changes from tomorrow. This all stations train is packed from Glen Huntly. Next one is 10 mins. Increase the trains!
- no additional services will operate on the Frankston line due to trains already operating at full schedule capacity.
- Then what is 'Train Control' monitoring?! What action will they take?
- our controllers our monitoring the network to minimise delays and congestion, which may include cancellations/alterations to stop delays expanding. Apologies for the experience this morning.
- From Elsternwick between 7.30 and 7.50 one express bus turned up - that’s going to hold basically one carriage of one train? Not really a replacement. They need to be MUCH MORE OFTEN in the morning peak
- we understand that overtime council works in the area has caused delays to the replacement buses with heavy road congestion, higher frequency is now available and should be much better tomorrow.
- I didn't even see any rail replacement people this morning at Elsternwick.. I just got the tram - which is not free before 7am
- Plenty of near-empty replacement buses running from city to Sandringham. But not enough buses back to the city, it is RIDICULOUS!
- Concerning replacement bus driver keeps asking passengers for directions. Also express bus went down Punt Rd, then Toorak,Chapel, Alexandra Pde & back to Punt? Who drew this map, added a ton of time for nothing. Wow Metro.
- can you give us a replacement bus run number? We will then check with the driver to ensure correct information and run details.
- Our bus is 48. Has our driver got it wrong or has the person who drew the route just got no idea?
- It appears that the driver has the wrong route, we are sending your feedback to the relevant area.
- Our bus driver is still adamant he got it right.
- I’ve been waiting/on this bus (from Elsternwick) for 45 minutes now and made it as far as Carlisle Street. Why don’t you drive the buses down the middle of the road on the tramway?
- You need more trains on the Frankston line SIMPLE. Train control need to TAKE CONTROL.
- 8.38 Yesterday & today photos.
- Worksite was all lighted to this evening.
- Thurs. I had a great trip on the way home from Parliament left around 16.09, got to Elsternwick around 16.47. Bus Run 4. Driver knew the way was very good. No buses around 5.30 today.
Are trains running today between Hoppers Crossing and Flinders St?
- Yes, except for the 7.10 ex Werribee starting from Newport; otherwise trains are currently running to timetable.
17.06 Hurstbridge line: Minor delays (a trespasser near Watsonia). Trains will be held.
- 17.13 now major.
- 17.23 clearing.
Buses replace trains Heidelberg - Hurstbridge from 20.40 (maintenance works).
Buses will replace trains between Newport and Werribee from 23.45 (urgent track works).  This will increase your journey time by up to 30 minutes..

Melbourne Express, Wednesday, May 22, 2019
9.17 Re Sandringham, there are massive queues and delays for trams in Dandenong Road; crowds at Chapel Street.  The commute is taking forever as the trams are so full they have to stop for ages at each stop to let people find their way off. My normal 40-minute commute looks to take at least an hour or more today.
Sandringham commuters are on the buses from today as part of a stretch of work for the Metro Tunnel. Buses will replace trains until June 9.
Stroll into the future. A driverless bus will take visitors for a ride on Prototype Street. Credit: City of Melbourne
Forget the space-time continuum. You can take the future for a test run during Melbourne Knowledge Week. A working prototype of a future street has been set up in North Melbourne. Sadly, no Delorians. But there's a drone, a driverless bus and lighting scenes that help you feel safe.
Our reporter Jewel Topsfield had a look at this and other innovations in an article last week. But if you're interested in time travelling yourself, go for a stroll down Prototype Street (otherwise known as Blackwood Street) in North Melbourne until Sunday. More info here.
There's another raft of construction works upsetting commutes across the city. Sandringham train travellers is copping the brunt of it today. Passengers are on the buses until June. But wait, as they say (in what is normally good news), there's more.
May misery starts in earnest today for Sandringham commuters, who are on the buses until June thanks to the Metro Tunnel project.
<www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/melbourne-express-wednesday-may-22-2019-20190522-p51pug.html>

95 Comments re the Sun.12.5 Melbourne 'Age' article on Caulfield - Oakleigh elevation.
* Well, fancy that! Apologies are due to Dan Andrews.
* And the Baillieu/Napthine/Ryan/Shaw government built us.
* Premier Andrews has done a good job with these Skyrails. I was doubtful but I admit they are better than what was before, far better.
* Wow! Who would have thought that what the libs were saying on this issue was just a scare campaign? Who would have thought that the people the government commissioned to research, design and build the project knew what they were talking about?
It makes you wonder if, at a federal level, the libs are also running a scare campaign on climate change policy, renewable energy, franking credits and negative gearing.
* The scare campaign on the NBN didn't work out too well either.
* These Labor Governments. Always improving things. Gee, I wonder if all those scare campaigns from the Liberals about taxes, the economy and the environment could be wrong?
* where is the opposition LNP now the world hasn't ended?
* Quelle surprise! A bit like the hoo haa over dredging the sea lanes in Port Phillip Bay and the catastrophic predictions that we would never see fish in the Bay again. There are many who are addicted to the dire predictions of everything and usually based on not much substance.
The current disease is that the loudest voices can not discern between fact and opinion.
* All the opposition was politically driven. That was what was obvious to most people.
* We had the same vocalising happening at Essendon, local group played politics with the road under rail even though they represented themselves as unaligned which was an utter lie. Storm in a tea cup & the local member increased his vote which was part of the state wide landslide, but I think the aggressive public conduct of the mentioned group contributed to the result.An Independent tried to hitch a ride on the anti side which exposed some affiliations that were not immediately obvious, it was a disaster for his campaign.
* "I don't have to mute the TV when the freight trains go past anymore. Why would you mute the tv ? Surely you would pause it or increase the volume ????
* Just to clarify my comments, while the quote is accurate, I also said that I wouldn't want to live under it, and a number of residents there had moved out. In relation to the graffiti, I said there had been a sharp increase on the fences of properties backing on to sky rail. I certainly never intended to imply that only "some' residents were annoyed by the graffiti. In my experience, everyone is annoyed by graffiti, especially mindless tagging, except the vandals responsible.
* It replaced an existing line that was below the current skyrail. So you wouldn't live under it, any more than if you lived on the old line.
* The only graffiti I have ever seen that I didn't object to was either commissioned "street art", which is technically not graffiti, and a quote on a rail bridge in South Melbourne (now light rail) that said "Don't vote - it only encourages them". Even that was vandalism. I agree with the mindless tags. It's criminal damage, and it is anything but victimless. It's ugly, expensive to remove, and it has no positive characteristic.
* They say, travel opens the mind, so had anyone been to Berlin and seen those wonderful architectural above ground railway lines and stations, they might take a less narrow view of what was possible.
* And more Americanisation of words, Realtor, how about Real estate agent! Is this an attempt to make themselves different for other agents? For what purpose?
* A resounding NO. And Victorians are still going out to dinner. Liberals have nothing but LIES.
* Ms Yamada if only more people were like you, open minded !
* This is why politics need to be taken out of infrastructure planning. One side of politics comes up with a good proposal, the other side will go out of their way to shoot it down. Then once the project is completed, all parties say how fantastic it is.
* It's fine for the opposing side to play Devil's Advocate, the problem is when they flat out lie and fear monger just so they can get a "win".
* Agree - we could have had EAST WEST LINK by now.
* Only if they had build the western part first to make it viable (so take the politics out of that bit too). The one they started to build would have cost us $17 billion dollars extra. Ridiculous.
* As usual, fear and paranoia about any kind of change has been proven unfounded. Happens all the time, because we are so easily outraged at any kind of change.
* Hopefully this means sky rail down Wellington Rd to Rowville will now be planned. This is urgently needed.
* The anti-Skyrail protest manifesto listed the concern of those who authored it of Skyrail "attracting homeless people" to the area very high. It was an appalling, inhumane objection which has now been shown to have no basis in fact and was utterly flawed in logic in the first place. On what evidential base did they make this nasty claim? An imagined study of previous rail infrastructure projects involving the construction of elevated concrete structures? Or did it come from the IPA? Or maybe the NIMBY Institute of Fulmination and Indignation? Moreover, even if the word on the street among the homeless was that elevated rail in Noble Park and Carnegie was way better shelter from the elements (and a safer place to sleep at night), what sort of person begrudges someone without a home a place to sleep (especially one that is actually more exposed that most underpasses and bridges which is a long way from inner-city temporary accommodation)? And I distinctly remember Kelly O'Dwyer marching at the head of the same protesters, giving endorsement to such appalling behaviour.
* Indeed. I am struck by how casually indifferent many people are towards the homeless. That's until there's a (largely imagined) danger they will be flooding the neighbourhood, then they become concerned citizens. Not concerned with alleviating homelessness - oh no, they are concerned about keeping it out of sight and out of mind, as in, in someone else's suburb. Charming.. As for Atsuko Yamada moving to Ormond "because she feared anti-social behaviour would flourish in the area underneath the bridge, making it unsafe for her kids", talk about jumping at shadows. What proportion of erstwhile opponents of Skyrail bothered to spend even half an hour soberly researching the issues? Probably about the same proportion as Australians who actually read the policies of federal political parties.
* How about getting rid of misleading headlines?
This article is a very positive one on the introduction of skyrail dispute the many predictions by naysayers!
Unfortunately many people don’t read past a headline! In my opinion, despite the question mark at the end of the sentence, this particular headline is attempting to convey negativity rather than being a good news story!
Is this a deliberate ploy? Have these sorts of headlines increased in number in the last few months?
Bring back headline honesty!!
* Whenever you see a question in a headline, the answer is nearly always "No".
* No one has mentioned the sky rail stations being so exposed to the elements. Despite the covering over a small portion of the platform, torrential rain and cyclonic winds still blast through the side gaps of the hood. To the station designers, a waiting room on the platform would have been a nice touch.
* I agree the platforms are exposed but perhaps the trade-off is a maximum 10 minute wait for a train and a maximum wait of 5 minutes during peak times? Sure beats standing on the platform and having to wait while trains that are too full to board go past!
* Isn't there an enclosed waiting areas on ground level? I've seen them where it's easy to see the screen that tells how long the train will arrive. I've seen people use that area until 1 min for train to arrive before they go through the gate and up the escalators to the platform. It's also easier to wait there for buses as you don't need to use myki.
* This is the biggest lost opportunity in a long time in Melbourne. While I appreciate many residents are positive, a better result would have been to put below ground and sold the land above for controlled medium rise development. Gov could have set all the parameters for heights, density etc. Sales of land could have paid for for some or most of it. That land is worth hundreds of millions. Try buying a house in Carnegie near the station. Would of taken longer of course. I feel gov did it the fastest way for political reasons. Still it’s more than the liberals ever did.
* Couple of points - 1) cost, and 2) the community space that people are now appreciating would have been lost. What price do you put on community space?
* I agree, we have gained invaluable usable semi-green open air space. The bike ride from Caulfield to Dandenong (Yarraman station) is fabulous and safe family riding!
* As I said the gov could have controlled all this. New parkland part of the deal. And extra cost to go underground offset by the land sales.
* Instead of fearing graffiti, why not embrace it? Encourage graffiti artists to work in the area - perhaps allocate a pylon to an artist for six months? This would discourage the vandal "taggers" as they would not be welcomed by graffiti artists. It would also give people an artistic outlet and could, potentially, be as big a drawcard as Hosier Lane.
* The only gripe I have with the sky rail and improved traffic flow is still the ridiculous changing of traffic lights to allow minimal to no traffic from side roads. Where's the sensor lights that identify traffic and change accordingly? Fix this and traffic flows will be almost perfect.
* The project was let down in the end (as always) by the involvement the hopeless Vic Roads. Some of the traffic controls put in by Vic Roads in Murrumbeena have made traffic worse! Around the station there are 3 pedestrian crossings over Murrumbeena Rd within 50m!. The Neerim Rd left turn lane into Murrumbeena road used to be 2 lanes, now reduced to one and to top it off some smarty plonked a new bus stop right in the middle of the lane. The traffic backs up as bad as it ever did when the level crossings were there.
At least Vic Roads are consistent and predictable but unfortunately they are utterly incompetent and the state suffers immensely due to this. Our roads are appalling.
* build a sky rail from Essendon Station to Broadmeadows station to cut out several rail crossings and improve the area for all. P.S> it's a great Labor voting area.
* If it a great Labor voting area don't expect it to happen. You have to have a few marginal seats.
* Amazing how the wowsers who continually protest about anything bigger than a tin shed being built in Melbourne are continually proven wrong.
* The reporter is getting positive comments from people who don't live directly in the shadow of Sky Rail, which skews the article about.
I can look into people's backyards when I ride train lines that are part of Sky Rail, so I have some sympathy for their concerns about lack of privacy..
It's similar to having your property overshadowed and overlooked by a high rise, high density, multi-unit apartment built right up to the fence line with no setback.
* "I can look into people's backyards.....so I have some sympathy for their concerns about lack of privacy.
I can also look into people's backyards travelling between Yarraville & Spotswood and between Newport & Seaholme, the railway line & houses having been there since last century. I dont know of any complaints from those people..
* The Hurstbridge line has always had elevated sections and I can assure you, we on that line are not voyeuristically peering into people's backyards. Hell, most people don't even look out the window, so enamoured are they of their phones. The privacy 'concern' is and was nothing but a red herring raised by NIMBY's opposed to any sort of progress.
* The opposition to Sky Rail was entirely made of up of NIMBY's who would have opposed any proposed solution
* "Sky rail may have helped lift property prices, according to realtor Gary Peer, who owns six offices in sky rail suburbs." I can recall this statement being made by Mr Peer at a couple of the community meetings I attended before Sky rail construction was commenced. I also remember how he was screamed down by the anti-Sky rail fanatics from suburbs Sky rail was nowhere near. Property prices have increased in many Sky rail suburbs while they have fallen in the 'trenched' suburbs.
* Then Mr Peer (and you) need to provide statistics of sale clearances of properties over looked by the Sky Rail. Sorry, we ain't talking about places 1 klm away and who were never going to be affected; ones where the skyrail stands at the end of their gardens.
* I think the point is that skyrail has been an overall positive to communities. With all major projects there will negative effects
* Sky Rail has lifted property prices of those not directly affected and those who live far enough from being directly overshadowed by Sky Rail.
Doubt the property prices of those directly in the shadow of Sky Rail with train passengers being able to peer into their backyards have had an uplift in their property price.
* I think the stations are unattractive shells but, with a bit of creativity, that could be addressed. The connectivity of communities across the old dividing line has got to be a good thing.
It's a pity that the builders did not choose to include elevated pedestrian/cycling paths alongside the rail bridges. The purpose of the level crossing removal was to increase the free flow of motor traffic but that has the adverse effect of making it harder for the traffic (ped/bike) on the new connected pathway to move freely.
* How can something like crossing the road be "harder" than it was before when there was previously no crossing or reason to cross. It was a busy railway. Now it's a lovely park and still people find something to whinge about..
* because using the gates as a break in traffic is no longer an option an the traffic is more free flowing - after all these were traffic projects, not rail projects
* Yes, skyrail is an opportunity for elevated veloways, to make cycle commuting faster, more efficient and remove some of the cyclist/pedestrian conflict on shared use paths, and around stations in particular. We are trying to get a 2.3km veloway as part of the Coburg 4 level crossing removal that is about to start. The Upfield bike path is a high use arterial bike path used by recreational and commuter cyclists already at capacity during morning and evening peak time. At the moment commuter cyclists enjoy the 'Upfield wave' following trains through a number of crossings. Level Crossing removal will remove this functionality.
* It hasn't really helped rail commuters. We're still stuck with the same service that we've always had, except we've now had years of disruption.
* It's not a project to benefit rail commuters in the short term. Short term benefits are reduced road traffic and increased public space as discussed in the article. Long term benefit to commuters is the ability to run many more trains on the Pakenham/Cranbourne corridor once the Melbourne Metro tunnel is built.
* ... and no easy way to duplicate the tracks because that was not part of LXRA remit...typical short term thinking... this was and is ALL about roads!
* I am not sure where Helen Franzi lives in Carnegie, but where I am, also in Carnegie, and three houses from Skyrail, the noise from the goods trains is worse than it was before Skyrail and this is from inside our house. The suburban trains are noisy from our garden, which they never were before, We were promised assistance with the noise levels, but as soon as the project was finished, all that went our the window, despite further requests. We live with it..we have to. It is ugly and it could all have been underground and still had all the walking tracks and play areas.
* When you say 'underground' who said it would be covered? Most likely be left as an open, fenced off trench, ie, not open space and no benefit to the local community like Sky Rail is.
* Yeah, probably when a state Liberal government comes back in and rips the guys out of maintenance budgets. Rips the guts out of public housing and mental health programs.
* Exactly. Homelessness isn't about railway stations. It's about housing, hospitals, and social workers.
* The Victorian state Labor government and the NSW Liberal governments have both evicted public housing commission tenants and sold off public housing commission estates to political donor property developers, despite record homelessness and public housing waiting lists lasting decades with tens of thousands of people still waiting for housing.
It's why the Daniel Andrews Labor government did not deserve to control both houses of Victorian parliament as it does now.
And why voters should not give either of the 2 major parties control of the upper and lower house.
* They are about to do sky rail in Coburg/Brunswick on the upfield line which I think is the worst decision possible for this section of rail. The big difference I notice from the picture in the article is there are not any apartment blocks built right against the train line. Brunswick has a massive amount of apartments that have been built right against the rail line and if the sky rail does go ahead as planned those residents will have trains going right past their windows and balconies and in some places there might only be a few metres between the buildings and the rail track. While sky rail has worked in this location it does not mean it is suitable for all locations.
* Same in most major metropolitan cities around the world ... not an issue ..... if you choose to live beside a rail line, you have no argument.
* Emma, maybe you should visit the actual area. Significant apartment buildings ( some 10 stories plus) are located directly next to 'skyrail' particularly in Carnegie on the Dandenong Rd side. The developers are continuing to build along the corridor and the apartments are being bought / leased out so there must be some appetite for people to live next to it . . .
* The Skyrail is on my cycling commute and I think it's fantastic. As soon as the paths were opened, people appeared, walking, running, walking their dogs, taking their children for a bike ride. It's great to see a sense of community.
* Two separate quotes.
Ms Yamada says that she was worried that Sky Rail would bring homeless people to the area.
Ms Elesa says that before Sky Rail existed, there were a lot of homeless people in her area, and now they have gone, due to the wide expanses.
Both quotes combined have the words "crime" and "cleaner" attached, when describing the homeless persons.
Is it any wonder that the stigma attached to being without lodgings continues to fester?
* So true. So class-oriented or class conscious.
* When did we start referring to real estate agents a "realtors". About time some journalists stopped absorbing too much US media content.
* really? who cares. if this is your biggest concern, you are a very fortunate person indeed
* Judging by the "respect" ticks, quite a lot of people care and where did "biggest" concern come from?
* I've noted that my prediction that the supports would become graffiti magnets has proved correct which by their very nature will make the place grotty over time and look dodgy. They are already having to repaint them every so often to hide it - what happens when government stop repainting (bet your bottom dollar they are only doing this now because its new and they don't want the bad publicity).
* Why not encourage artists to decorate them, then? If it works in the Northern suburbs it can work in Carnegie. Tbh I think this whole area needs more art - even nearby Chadstone is soulless. Carnegie lacks personality.
* So long as it's not rewarding graffiti vandals who don't ask permission before they deface other people's property.
And so long as the artwork is neutral and does not done by political activists with an axe to grind against any particular party like in the City of Moreland.
If there is going to be any art, I'd prefer that the council commission a mural from an Arts graduate with a degree, rather than a graffiti vandal, although in some cases, they are not mutually exclusive.
* When you use the word 'vandal' it's implied that they don't ask permission. If they did it wouldn't be vandalism... would it?
Oh and art from someone without an axe to grind? Boring
* Forget the degrees, just get the talent. Look at all the fine art on Benalla buildings and surrounding district silos. Wonderful.
* Whereas before the skyrail, we didn't have graffiti around train lines & train stations?
* when the track was at eye level the graffiti was never seen as garden fences hid them...or is that too simplistic for you. They supports are not just around the stations or did you miss that one???
* Graffiti happens all over urban areas. What? We do away with walls?
* We could do away with spray cans and few people would notice.
* Ah yes let's just ban everything that George doesn't like. World's problems solved.
* Graffiti isn’t, per se, grotty and dodgy; it depends on what is being painted. The best thing is for the locals to work with the councils to maintain the areas; since they are the main beneficiaries. I’m sure the councils would welcome your positive input.
* Not per se, but mostly, nonetheless. Take a train ride on any line and 98% of the graffiti will be ugly.
* "Graffiti isn’t, per se, grotty and dodgy;" Umm yes it is, by nature it is scrawls placed uninvited on someone elses property. You can paint it how you wish - do these people spray paint or tag their own property or vehicles? Do they do it in day light? Or skulk around by torch light. And again a bit of honesty; most of it is not artistic in any sense of the word.. Its sad youth skulking around under cover of darkness - thats how proud they are of the work.
* This is an issue that all councils face and most regularly paint over graffiti, even on older bridges and structures.
There is also an option to harness the space for artists of all types to display their work, once again bringing more positives to this great community space.
* Most of the inner city Melbourne councilors are apathetic about graffiti, vandalism, illegal bill posting, politicians and freeloading businesses plastering advertising posters and stickers on other people's property and public property, particularly City of Moreland, City of Maribynong, City of Darebin, City of Melbourne, City of Yarra, City of Port Phillip, City of Stonnington.
Property that has been vandalised with graffiti including stickers, posters, advertising bills, wet cement, etc is never local council's or state government's responsibility.
Long suffering ratepayers, business owners and home owners are left to fend for ourselves and expected to tolerate these eyesores although local councils gouge us with rates while failing to provide maintenance services.
Not just cleaning up graffiti and vandalism, but the poor state of street signs which are council responsibility that are in such disrepair after being vandalised that they are loose at the base and can be rotated and are bent at more than a 30 degree angle (Hi Stonnington Council councillors!)
* You are spot on with this. I disagree with the "scrawls" as well but we have some really good street art in our area as well. I agree with the idea of harnessing the street art to relieve the look of concrete pillars.
* I've noticed a distinct lack of graffiti on Sky rail
<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/more-than-a-year-on-has-sky-rail-turned-suburbs-into-ghettos-20190509-p51lqm.html>

May 22, 2019 What's next for the coal mine that helped to return Morrison to power?
<www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/what-s-next-for-the-coal-mine-that-helped-to-return-morrison-to-power-20190520-p51p7j.html>
Melbourne City Council pushes ahead with Elizabeth Street closures May 22, 2019. 7 comments
Melbourne City Council has unanimously adopted a plan to close parts of Elizabeth Street to traffic despite the state government urging it be delayed until 2025 when the Metro Tunnel is completed.
Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan had called for the council to push back the changes due to rolling road closures caused by the construction of two new underground train stations in the CBD as part of the Metro Tunnel project.
An artist's impression of some of the planned changes on Elizabeth St.
But transport chair councillor Frances Gilley said the council would manage the disruption and "manage it well".
"One of the things that happened is that we have not had the kind of investment in public transport that we have needed," he said.
The plan - to be rolled out in stages over the next six years - will see cars and trucks banned in the blocks between La Trobe and Little Lonsdale streets and Little Bourke and Bourke streets.
Southbound traffic would be removed from the blocks between Little Lonsdale and Lonsdale streets, and Bourke and Little Collins Streets, and the area revitalised with widened bluestone footpaths, bike lanes and street furniture.
Councillor Rohan Leppert said the redevelopment of the southern end of Elizabeth Street, which had already been funded in the budget, would begin next year.
This will see southbound traffic removed between Flinders Street and Flinders Lane and the area converted into a new public space with trees, paving, lighting and street furniture.
He said future road closures would be subject to detailed consultation, especially with the traders.
"The longer we don’t get on with this and the longer the footpaths are overly congested we have a public safety issue on our hands," he said. "We have to get ahead of that.
"Look at what happened to Swanston Street. The vacancy levels over the course of 15 years have gone from quite high to effectively zero. That would be a fantastic thing to see on Elizabeth Street as well."
The plan was enthusiastically supported by Nik Dow, from the Melbourne Bicycle User Group, but opposed by trader David Beanham from motorcycle parts shop Modak, whose family had traded in Elizabeth Street for 70 years.
Mr Dow said Elizabeth Street was hostile to bikes. He said the best part of the plan was the elimination of through traffic.
Nik Dow from the Melbourne Bicycle User Group supports the elimination of through traffic in Elizabeth Street.Credit:Jason South
"Most cars in these blocks don’t need to be there," Mr Dow said. "When you eliminate through traffic you create a better environment without anything else being done."
But Mr Beanham said closing parts of Elizabeth Street would push traffic onto surrounding roads and inconvenience a great many users for very little gain.
"To offload at the front of my shop would mean a two block detour to return to La Trobe or Elizabeth streets."
David Beanham and his mother Jean at Modak Motorcycles on Elizabeth Street in 2014. The business no longer operates a shop front.Credit:Justin McManus
Mr Beanham said congested tram stops and walking space could be solved by "common sense measures" such as increasing tram services in peak hours, removing obstacles such as tables and chairs and motorbikes and getting pedestrians to keep left.
"Planting further trees will cause problems for shop verandahs," he said.
"Further expenditure is not needed or justified. People come to the city to shop, to work, to meet not to sit and admire the view."
Cr Gilley said the road closures would make retail more profitable, with evidence showing that people spent more time shopping when they were on foot.
Related Article: An artist's impression of the Elizabeth Street plan. Walk this way: plan to shut off Elizabeth Street traffic on two city blocks
Related Article. A bubble tea craze is sweeping Melbourne’s CBD. A different kind of property bubble lifts rents in city's north
<www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbourne-city-council-pushes-ahead-with-elizabeth-street-closures-20190522-p51q1i.html>
* Is this major change to traffic in the heart of our city not a descision to be made by the state government? Local councils vote on their Tuesday night thought bubbles and increase congestion at a time the cbd is going through its greatest ever public transport upgrade. Retail is one side of the coin but so is the need for deliveries, emergency services, tourism and people getting to and from work.
* Looks a great plan. The sooner it’s started the better.
* Labor has been absolutely hopeless on cycling infrastructure,despite making noises that they would invest. Well done MCC taking this initiative,adding to the cities livability.
* It's all about these councillors wanting to put their stamp on something, even at the expense of common sense. The state government tells you to hang off till the metro tunnel is complete, which makes sense, but you may not by then, so F*#@ it, let's do it anyway!
* This is great, can't wait to see it!
* This is getting ridiculous. This a destructive council that does not listen to all road users not even when requested by the State Govt to defer a change whilst the work is being done on the metro. Mayor Sally Cap is a self declared anti motor vehicle person - this biaise will drive businesses out of the CBD. She does not act in the interests of the people of who work and live in the city of Melbourne. I hope is she voted out in the next election.
* This is great. Traffic changes aside, this is much needed to help clean up Elizabeth street, which is filled with trash and grime, not conducive to tourists and students alike. At night it feels less safe even though it is by-and-large ok to walk along. Would also love to see the street character enhanced with more European style construction to blend in with the heritage buildings. I love modern buildings but mixing it all up dilutes the character of the street scape. Wow, really dreaming of a nice park along Elizabeth street. Hmmmmmmm

Liddell must be 'extended or replaced': Minister warns power companies May 22, 2019
<www.theage.com.au/business/companies/liddell-must-be-extended-or-replaced-minister-warns-power-companies-20190522-p51q5g.html>

Opening day for Sydney's new metro trains to be free for passengers May 22, 2019. 79 comments
Thousands are expected to converge on Sydney's first metro line on Sunday after the state government decided to make the opening day free for passengers.
The 13 stations on the $7.3 billion Northwest Metro line between Rouse Hill and Chatswood will be opened to the public just after 11am on Sunday. The last metro train will leave Chatswood at 10.05pm and, from the other end of the line, from Tallawong station at Rouse Hill at 9.35pm.
A driverless metro train at the new Tallawong station in Sydney's north-west.
Given anticipated interest in the long-awaited opening, NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance urged people to stagger times during the day on which they decided to ride on the new line.
"Trainspotters will become train riders on Sunday. If you can come later in the day, that would be preferable because there will be large crowds," he said.
The Northwest Metro will be the city's first privately operated suburban line. Driverless trains will initially run every five minutes during the morning peak, before frequency is increased to every four minutes in several weeks' time.
The big test of integrating the metro line into the broader rail network will come on Monday during the morning peak, especially at Chatswood and Epping stations where commuters will switch from the single-deck trains onto double-deck Sydney Trains services.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Transport Minister Andrew Constance announce free travel on the Northwest Metro this Sunday. Credit:AAP
Mr Constance said the government was well prepared for the integration of the new rail line, citing an increase in Sydney Trains services on the North Shore Line.
"We are planning for 10,000 people or thereabouts to interchange at Chatswood [during the morning peak]," he said.Related Article
The 36-kilometre line is the first stage of the Berejiklian government's plans for multiple metro train lines in Sydney. The second stage under construction comprises a line from Chatswood, under Sydney Harbour to the CBD and onto Sydenham and Bankstown, which is scheduled to be opened by 2024.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian encouraged people to travel on the metro services on Sunday because it would be a "taste of things to come" in terms of how the city used public transport.
"It is going to completely change the way people move around our rail network. On Sunday, everyone will see the benefits themselves," she said.
While the metro trains will be free on Sunday, people will need to use their Opal cards to ride on the rest of the public transport network. Travel on Sundays is capped at $2.70.
A driverless metro train at the new Tallawong Station in Sydney's north west. Crowd control risks for commuters when Sydney's new metro trains start
<www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/opening-day-for-sydney-s-new-metro-trains-to-be-free-for-passengers-20190522-p51pyr.html>
* SMH - I want an article on the crap service the Northern Line has - we previously had a one trip experience on ECRL - and that is gone for ever - who wants to change at Central - why is no other line in the same situation
* For all the LNP posters who think any dissent is political - it is not. My neighborhood voted for the Libs on Saturday - but they all are so not happy with the Metro - they could live with it if the Northern Line was functional - but it is not. So the workers who have to commute now have a crap service. We thought it was short term. But it is not. Why is there no direct line through Town Hall and Wynyard in peak hour ? Apparently the Carlingford line was better than that 20 years ago
* I'm inclined to give it a miss after experiencing the long lines and long time waiting for the Newcastle tram on its first day of service (also a free day).
Yes, trams take less "customers" than trains but then there's a lot more people in Sydney than Newcastle!
* What's patronage on the Newcastle tram now? We haven't seen our Glad grinning by the side of one (or even in one) on Sydney TV. She is never far from such events. She is seen on the TV news tonight getting excited about the NWRL but absent from announcements the tram has been running in test from Randwick to Central at last.
* It should have been a heavy rail line, but so it goes. It’s opening a day later than I have to go that way, as well! It’s still well done from me on getting some new public transport open! Now use it!
* The North West Metro Line will bring welcome and overdue relief to the long-neglected suburbs it serves. To its detractors it has one monumental flaw -it was delivered by a Liberal government.
* The other "monumental flaw" is the chronic shortage of seats.
* Yes paying some of the building costs by selling/privatising the electricity assets which resulted in us having bills triple in price not to mention all the electricity revenue we the people have now given up that would have come from electric cars charging.. not to mention selling the Land Titles Registry for less than it makes in profit.. oh and I forgot to mention this privately run rail line which will by stealth overtake the rail network which you have already paid to build is majority owned by a Hong Kong government entity.. I don’t care who builds infrastructure as long as it’s not done in a short sighted way and the packaged up in spin and bull dust.. Plus not enough seats for such a long trip- part 1 of private cost cutting with no care for the people.. shame
* Free! Whooppee doo! And all those people at Chatswood waiting for a Sunday train. Or is there trackwork this weekend? (No, not on the North Shore line; I checked.)
* Good on you, Gladys!
* Moaning Aussies surely deserve Albanese leftist regime where he will run many of these trains using his union comrades!! Strike actions are not far off!!
* I'm pretty sure these trains are driver-less, invincible.
* Aussies have car culture just like Yanks. No high speed trains, not much of trams or metros in cities. What a culture!
* Almost surreal, have been waiting 18 years for this...
* And I have dreaded it - lost my previously functional train line and now forced to change at Central - the only line that has that lack of amenity - and apparently that is not going to change EVER
* Wow. What a load of moaning, angry, clearly depressed people on here.
Any chance of actually applauding the delivery of a major infrastructure project which will benefit a large number of people and start to ease congestion in the NW.
Well done Gladys. At least you have the strength (and bravery) to the this sort of project through to the end.
Clearly a lot of salty lefties on here grabbing any chance to make negative observations.
* That's what most SMH comment pieces end up as - a load of people using it as an excuse to bash the government. Doesn't actually matter what the issue or story is!
* How about some balance - Do you think picking weekend 1 in Vivid was a good idea for a freebie - it could have been after one month
* Even if it wasn't free it would cost no more than $2.70 on Sunday. Not exactly a huge incentive to go (or not go).
* And unless you live quite close to the NW Metro Line it's going to cost $2.70 to get on a connecting service. I supposed iot depends on whether you just want to experience the festivities the T4NSW will (hopefully) organise on the day.
And that reminds me: please, organisers, no DJs pumping out loud ka-thump ka-thump "music" to deafen those waiting in the lines.
* For that money they could of built the very fast train, or at least made a bloody good start on one for the benefit of the country, and not just Sydney.
* They should do that too, and could if the HSR line went via Western Sydney Airport and not Albo's crazy idea of the 114 billion trip to the City which will never happen. CLARA's and other's ideas of the Western Sydney alignment means that HSR from Sydney to Melbourne stage 1 and 2 could be delivered in 5 to 10 years. Most of the route is dead level and dead flat. No tunnelling or bridges required except for the Southern Highlands.
* WHY should they build a train between SYD and MELB ?
No reason is worth $10B let alone $100B.
Its completely stupid to invest that kind of money just because, there has to be a reason.
Please dont tell me so people can go shopping, because there are more than enuff shops in Sydney, and you can buy far more on the internet.
The same goes for linking towns along the way, they dont need more people rushing on the weekends to their place, taht only increases house prices, which ruins the abilities for those families to buy their own home.
If you actually think about it, there is no benefit bringing the city to the country, any benefits are countered by 10x the negatives.
Its hardly worth ruining home owning opportunites so people can visit Sydney or Melb to buy some shoes or shirt or visit the opera house once or twice a year.
* On which planet? Labor promised $1bn just to start buying property for the corridor. The Rudd government in 2013 put the price at $114bn absolutely dwarfing the stated $7.3bn spent on this project
* Talk about a bunch of negative Nellies...this is a huge achievement and will make a difference to tens of thousand's of people, if not many more. Yes there's more to do, but can't we just be positive about what we're about to get and be happy knowing that the rest is already being built and on it's way. and Sunday will be awesome, sure it'll be busy, but it's Sunday, who cares, just enjoy it, I know I will be :-)
* Can we meet the train drivers and wonder at all the new jobs created ?
* Mining jobs good. Train driver jobs bad.
* Well done to Gladys and everyone involved in delivering this project. Yes its only the first stage, but its the first stage of many and will be a massive benefit to the community. Once complete Sydney Metro will be game changer for Sydney.
* In what way does it benefit the community but increase the numbers of people who waste 1/4 of their lives commuting ?
Can you name a single place on earth where increased infrastructure has actually reduced travel times ?
People in London, HK, Shanghai, Paris, NYC and so on all spend hours every day travelling on trains, buses, cars and more....
Infrastructure simply makes it possible for the commuter tax to find more victims.
* Let's complain about it and not build anything in future.
* It should be the best metro line in the world given it is the newest, but will it better?
* Better than what, the Penrith to Central or the Richmond Line Cora 1955? How about celebrating this govts achievement?
* Penrith 1862, Richmond 1864. You're a bit out there.
* Biggest driverless metro in the world, eventually? Eating up all the existing lines?
* I think most if sydney is going to be envious of this tremendous gift to the nw, especially given the enormous property price increases and dramatic change in liveability that comes with being close to a metro. When will the libs get the message the rest of sydney does need new toll roads like beaches link and needs metro lines instead!
* It's not a gift its a prison, that encourages more stupidity like forcing employees to travel as far as they will stand to get to work.
If people live out NW why do companies and gov place their offices as far as possible from them in the CBD ?
Work, school, hospitals etc should be close to where they are needed not far away so people need to "travel" big distances.
* "...the rest of sydney does need new toll roads..." A typo there I suspect. Should be "...the rest of sydney does NOT need new toll roads..."
* In Canberra the new Tram is free for the first month . . . Vivid starts on 24 May and Chatswood is one of the areas - I can just imagine what a zoo Chatswood Station will be on Sunday with this - might have been an idea to make the Metro free over a longer period so the sticky beaks could have a look at it on different days . . . . perhaps free access on a couple of weekends and limited access during the first week in off peak times . . .
* I'm sure the opening could be finessed to within an inch of it's life ...to avoid Full Moon, Blue Moon, king tides and anything else that can be dreamed of.
* And I'm sure the Govt knows the dates of major events - but then again these are outdoor and not in a stadium.
* Couldn't think of a worse way to spend my Sunday than playing a testing bunny for Mr Constance's new toy. Also, no offense, I know it's brand new and shiny in this country (then again, what isn't?), but there are driverless trains all over the world.
* Cheer up. Life isn't all that bad.
* So? I don't think the driverless aspect is the drawcard here. It's the fast ingress/egress that we've never had before.
* "It is going to completely change the way people move around our rail network. On Sunday, everyone will see the benefits themselves," she said
No it won't because you still have to go via the CBD to connect across to any other line. The only future lines that will allow you to move across the network are cross-linking lines, like Hurstville-Strathfield (which crosses 5 lines), Menai-Castle Hill (5 lines connected), Kogarah-Parramatta (3) or Sutherland-Western Sydney Airport (3).
* Your suggestion in the later half is completely untrue.
There are plenty of cities with far better train systems that criss cross their area, im thinking of HK, London, Paris, Tokyo amongst many others and people in those cities spend hours every day. If your claim was remotely true then pelase share a city with ANY transport system be it trains, cars, hyperloops, flying cars where people dont spend hours ...
There is no answer, Chatswood has more trains lines going thru it than ever and yet times for travellers has also gotten worse. This is always true, the more infrastructure the worse times become.
I'm not advocating cars or anyting im simply pointing out that transport systems in all forms are broken, the very idea of commuting is broken.
* that's an interesting idea but I think so long as people want to go somewhere and live in a city then commuting will exist. Metro just happens to be by far the most efficient method of doing so, which I think you'd agree with. But what are you advocating instead? That we all stay at home and online shop? There are also major economic benefits from having a population mobile in a city, just like there are health benefits from having a healthy cardio vascular system in the human body.
* There are also major economic benefits from having a population mobile in a city, just like there are health benefits from having a healthy cardio vascular system in the human body.
Cow: There is no economic benefit requiring employees to travel major distances to get to work. Given the center of sydney is roughly Parra, that also means a majority of the workers in the CBD are coming from far away.
If anything is the complete opposite, gov and businesses are paying high rents in the city and forcing employees to travel for extra hours to get to the office, making their lives more miserable.
Yog: But what are you advocating instead?
m: Simple answer locating people and their destinations much closer to each other. Kids shouldnt need or be forced to travel hours to school, they should walk to school. Dont tell me about better education opporutnities because guess what when everyone does the same, those long travelling kids have no advantage and now have to waste hours a day travelling.
Secondly many office workers can work from home, many , not all but its a start. Companies should be forced to pay employees for wasting time travelling, or they should be taxed. When companies are forced to pay employees to travel they will move their offices closer to where they live or they will try new options like work from home.
Please dont tell me plumbers cant work from home, reply with sensible options that do make sense.
* I've used the mass transit systems of 3 of the 4 cities you've named and they are streets ahead of what we have in Sydney. No need for a car, and the system is trustworthy and reliable and frequent.
* I have no doubt that trains run more often etc in all those other cities, look at the end results.
People in all those cities i mentioned and others, still spend hours. A commuting person in London still spends 3 -4 hours a day travelling just like their sydney equivalent.
Dont worry how "efficient" or shiny or how frequent the trains run anything just look at the time wasted.
* A London person will spend 3-4 hours commuting only if they live in Wales or France.
England is not actually that big.
* Change at Chatswood for Hornsby on the T1 without going to the CBD.
* What's to do in Rouse Hill?
* Come and find out.
* Well done Gladys Berejiklian!
* Well done engineers, designers, planners and builders and/or soon to be maintenance and operating personnel.
Of course, this can't continue without the passengers, so please all try it..
 I don't praise pollies (from any parties) for engineering projects, because they aren't engineers.
* Expect to see videos of the scramble for the seats. Will there be enough straps to hang on to?
* How are intending passengers intended to "stagger times"?
* Sadly, another case of tall poppy syndrome.
* Let's wait & see how elderly people like standing for the 35 minute journey just to join up with trains at Chatswood & stand again because young people don't give upo their seats these days!
* The problem here isnt the lack of seats, the problem is those elderly and everyone else should avoid travel.
I have no idea why an elderly person would want to get involved in that mess, life is too short to waste sitting on a train, bus or car unnecessarily, and please dont tell me about doctors, im talking about everyday non essential life stuff.
* In London underground, we Londoners give seats to the elderly. But we are ofcourse a civilised nation!
* You completely missed the point that they shouldnt need or want to travel far distances. In the end all shopping centers are the same, all shops in the city are selling things you can get from shops much closer to yourself.
* The problem is with the poorly trained young people and not with the Metro.
* "Premier Gladys Berejiklian encouraged people to travel on the metro services on Sunday because it would be a "taste of things to come" in terms of how the city used public transport."
* Likely to be - crammed in like sardines and standing all the way.